A weekly address from Patrick Adams,
President of St. Louis Community Credit Union

What We Do Makes A Lot Of Sense

I think about what we do at St. Louis Community Credit Union a lot. All that we are and stand for makes its way around the inside of my mind like popcorn in a popper. Our business plan, our focus, our community initiatives, and our member service – all of these plus hundreds more related thoughts pop in and out of the gray matter all day every day. I think it through regularly. I weigh the merits of what we do, assess the pros & cons and constantly evaluate if we are on the right path. I’ve come to understand that is what those at the top of the org chart do.

A couple of times in the past few weeks, I had the occasion to speak my many thoughts out loud. All those thoughts, ideas and motivations that roam around only in the confines of conscious or subconscious thought were suddenly thrust on a couple of audiences. My thoughts had to be effectively collated, prioritized and subsequently verbalized. Was what I think about constantly going to make sense to other groups? I sure hoped so. Otherwise, I had surely wasted a lot of time that would provide no fruits of my labor.

First, I talked about the desire for the Credit Union to be the “The Social Conscience of Banking.” The commitment of our Credit Union is to be acknowledged as a strong, stable, trusted entity in the community. While at the same time we have to insure a balance to the philosophical mantra of our Credit Union charter – that being a not-for profit, member owned, service-oriented institution. That’s a bunch of fancy talk for “give back.” And that’s even more high-brow jibber for low fees, high deposit rates, low loan rates, free services and off the chart service for our members. As I articulated this position, I noted a tremendous level of enthusiasm and confirmation for who we’ve become. One down, two to go.

Secondly, I shared that our goal was to be “The Source for Consumer Financial Education.” At this point, the audience started doing most of the talking for me. Testimonials started flying around the room as people noted our constant presence at different events around the city. There were examples of us in schools, businesses, social service agencies, community sponsored events, on-line training and the Black Expo. Most importantly, people acknowledged that we not only better educated folks on how to improve their standard of living, but we also provided the capability to use the Credit Union as the means by which to get it done. Two down, one to go.

Lastly, we want to be an “Employer of Choice.” We hire great people, train them, keep them challenged, keep them happy and give them the tools to be successful. We’re just corny enough to believe that happy people better serve our members. Three down, none to go!

Well, my private thoughts have become public knowledge. And those in attendance couldn’t agree more with what I had to stay. Great, I’m not crazy! What we do does make sense – lots of it.

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Patrick has been employed with St. Louis Community Credit Union for more than 30 years. As a Community Development Financial Institution, St. Louis Community offers safe and affordable loans, second chance checking accounts and branches in underserved areas as part of its overall community giveback. Patrick is proud to be associated with nearly 200 employees who have a laser-like focus on service to our members and the community. Learn more at stlouiscommunity.com